Fever
by Pataki-Shortman
Summary: Arnold was in love with his girlfriend, but he wasn't about to tell her. After all, Helga had dumped her last three boyfriends who tried to tell her that. That's why he is so surprised about what she tells him while he takes care of her while she is running a high fever. One shot.


**Fever**

"I'll be back in ten minutes." Arnold Shortman promised his girlfriend of three months. "Call me if you need anything?" He moved her cellphone from his dresser to his bedside table, so it was within her reach.

"This is your fault, you know." Helga Pataki mumbled from her spot on Arnold's bed. The twenty four year old woman had the chicken pox and was positively miserable. She was itchy and running a high fever, which Arnold was monitoring closely. If it spiked above 103, he was planning on taking her to the emergency room. Having the chicken pox as an adult could be dangerous, so Arnold wanted to make sure she was well taken care of and insisted that she stayed with him at his apartment until she was healthy again.

Arnold frowned, "Why is this my fault? I had the chicken pox when I was five."

"You just _had_ to be a teacher...You brought the germs home. Kids are so damn germy." She whined, "I itch." She furiously rubbed her palm against her arm in attempt to find some relief.

"Don't scratch!" Arnold scolded, "It will make it worse and you might scar." He paused. "And it's not my fault you never had the chicken pox. You should have had the chickenpox vaccine years ago."

"It's not _my_ fault I have crappy parents. I remember in middle school I asked Bob and Miriam if I ever had the chicken pox and do you know what they told me? Of course you did Olga. What kind of parents would we be if we hadn't gotten you the vaccine by now if you hadn't had them? Ugh! They suck!" She groaned. "Get to the pharmacy, would ya? I'm dying over here."

"Of course babe. I'll be right back." He kissed the top of her head, "Is there anything else you need?" He was going for a quick run to the pharmacy for some calamine lotion to relieve some of his girlfriend's itching and some aspirin to bring down her fever.

"A time machine?"

Arnold shot her a sympathetic smile, "I'll be right back."

The nearest pharmacy was only two blocks away from Arnold's apartment, so it didn't take him long to walk there. He quickly grabbed the lotion and aspirin that Helga needed. The pharmacy had a small grocery section, which Arnold perused and found a box a grape popsicles that would hopefully help with Helga's sore throat. On his way out he thought about renting a few movies out of the Redbox, but quickly decided against it. Helga had been binge watching Arrested Development on NetFlix all morning, grumbling each time she had to pick up the remote to select 'continue watching' when the streaming paused asking if she was still watching. . 'I only watched three episodes. Of course I'm still watching! Criminy.'

He and Helga had a weird relationship growing up. She was always so hot and cold with him. There were so many times he was sure she liked-liked him, but then she would do everything in her power to prove that wasn't the case. He was sure they were going to start dating all the way back in middle school after everything that happened in San Lorenzo, he had asked her out, but she said no. Then when he got a girlfriend she was mad at him! It was all so dang confusing. Helga was confusing.

But, God, did he love that woman.

He wasn't going to tell her that anytime soon. They've only been dating for three months and the last thing he wanted to was to scare her off. Like her last three boyfriends did. She would talk about it when she would meet him, Phoebe, and Gerald out for drinks. 'He practically gave me an ultimatum. Criminy, it's only been five months. I've know you guys forever and barely know how I feel about you Chuckleheads. How am I supposed to know how I feel about him? Soooo we broke up.' She explained through shots and beer chasers.

He ran into Helga's latest ex-boyfriend just a few weeks into their relationship. Arnold had been nervous when he explained to Dan that he was dating Helga. They had dated for a year and Arnold had always been a little worried that his friendship with Helga had caused a rift between them. Surprisingly, Dan had unsarcastically wished him luck. He admitted that every time he tried to bring up that four letter 'L' word with her Helga would clam up or pick a fight. Typical Helga stuff. Dan finally ended things after they dated for a year and he realized he would never have a future with her.

Arnold had been with Helga for three months now and they were going pretty strong, so he had to make sure he didn't make her feel pressured like her previous boyfriends did. Helga talked tough, walked tough, but she seemed to spook easily when it came to romantic relationships. Not that he blamed her, Bob and Miriam Pataki's marriage had always been pretty toxic. He imagined it was probably slightly traumatic for his girlfriend to see that growing up.

"Babe…" He called out as he opened his apartment door. "I'm back. Do you need some more water."

"Yes!" Helga's voice was raspy and sounded kind of weak.

Arnold frowned, "I'll be there in a minute. Hang tight, okay?" He poured her a large glass of ice water before grabbing out a popsicle and placing the rest of the box and the freezer. He snatched up the rest of the items he was bringing her and made his way to his bedroom "How are you feeling?"

"Not good Football Head…" She murmured, hugging a pillow close as she curled into the fetal position. He handed her the glass of water and two Advil to hopefully bring her fever down. "Thanks." She winced as she swallowed the pills down her throat.

He sat down on the bed next to her, placing a hand on her forehead. She felt hot. Too hot. "Let's take your temperature again." He grabbed the thermometer from his nightstand, "Then you can have a popsicle while I rub some lotion on you."

"Mmm...Sounds good. I don't want to get the hose again." She mumbled before Arnold slipped the thermometer under her tongue.

"What?" Arnold's brows scrunched in confusion. Helga didn't answer him right away, unable to speak with the thermometer in her mouth. It beeped and Arnold pulled it out. "One-o-two point six. If your fever gets any higher I'm taking you to the hospital. "Now, what about getting the hose again?"

Helga chuckled, " _Silence of the Lambs_? It was a joke Football Head." She grabbed the grape flavored popsicle, ripping it open and attempted to throw the packaging in the trash, but missed by about a foot. She groaned.

"It's okay. I'll get it." Arnold gave her quick kiss on the forehead. "But first...Let's get some lotion on you. Can you sit up?"

Helga nodded before sitting up, albeit weakly.

He sat behind her, lifting her nightgown over her shoulders before starting squirting a good amount of lotion on his hands and started rub her back. Helga released an audible sigh of relief as the cold lotion touched her pox covered skin.

"Mmmmm…" She was practically moaning. "I'm starting to think this is just a ploy to feel me up."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"I'll cut you if you do." It was an empty threat, obviously.

"I'm glad despite feeling like you are you still have a sense of humour." Arnold smiled. "It's one of the things I lo-" the word love nearly slipped from his lips, but he caught himself. "Like about you."

"Mmhmm…" Was her only reply, she was now concentrating on her popsicle.

Five minutes later Helga was all lotioned up and her popsicle was nothing but the stick. Arnold threw the stick along with it's wrapper in the garbage. "Is there anything else you need?" He asked as he helped her lay back down.

"No…" Helga shook her head as he cuddled next to him. "Just stay with me until I fall asleep?"

Arnold smiled, "Of course. Just let me get a little more comfortable." He slipped off his jeans before getting into bed with his girlfriend, allowing her head to rest on his chest, His fingers lazily stroked her hair as he turned his attention to the television.

"Mmmm….That feels nice." Helga sounded half asleep now. Her eyes were closed as her fingers slipped under his shirt, caressing his stomach just slightly. Arnold allowed his eyes to close as wel. "I love you so much…."

Arnold's eyes snapped back open. "What?"

"Mmhmm...Love you so much." The words were barely audible. She was almost asleep, the movement of her fingers slowing.

"Really?" Arnold couldn't help but sound downright shocked. She dated Dan for a year and according to him never came close to saying love. She dumped two guys for saying to soon.

"Of course I do…" The movement of her fingers against his stomach were hardly moving at all anymore.

At this point he wasn't sure if she was talking in her sleep or if she just plain delirious from her fever. Yet, he couldn't but try to get more information out of her. Even though she needed her sleep. "But it's only been three months...You said five months was too soon. Heck, a year was too fast for you…"

"That's because they weren't you...You Football Headed idiot." The movement of her fingers had stopped completely, going limp near his ribs. She was asleep.

Arnold wouldn't be able to wipe the grin off his face if he had even wanted to. His heart was soaring, Helga loved him! "Helga…" He whispered, being careful not to wake her up. "I know you can't hear me and I'm not even sure you'll remember when you wake up...But for what it's worth, I love you too."


End file.
